Lucan sat alone on the wooden pier, looking at the volcano in the distance. Kiyoshi was preparing his troops to set sail for the island. The setting sun made the sky orange and the waters flickered against the dusk sky. Lucan dangled his legs over the edge, wondering. It was hard to believe that, a few weeks ago, he was just an honored resident at Riverstead prison, cooking up his prankster life after release. Now, he was in the corps, under his former enemy's command, and about to part with Nikka, the only person he's known who doesn't want him dead or jailed.
"I wish you wouldn't sit so close to the edge." Her voice came from behind him. Lucan scooted his legs more onto the pier so that only his shin dangled over the water.
"Is that better?" He asked.
"Much better." Nikka said as she sat down beside him. Lucan shifted to the side to make room for her on the narrow deck. Nikka's ears drooped as she too, stared over the water at the volcano. Her green eyes, oval in the sun's setting light, looked so beautiful.
For a tranquil moment, they sat together. Lucan wondered what to say, but Nikka began first. "You never told me you've been to prison." She mentioned casually to Lucan, who looked away.
"Yeah, it's not something I share often." He said, scratching his head.
"What'd you do?" Nikka pressed.
"Ehh, it was," Lucan searched for the right words to describe the acts of a street delinquent without invoking disgust. "I mean it wasn't really anything…"
Nikka interrupted him. "Did you kill someone?"
"What?" Lucan exclaimed. Murder is life sentence in Felora. If he did, why would he be out here? "No! I just have a tendency to… get into trouble." He sighed. "I'm not like Kiyoshi," he pointed briefly to the loading ships, "who knew exactly what he wanted to be all his life. I just can't see myself working a normal job. The same routine every single day." He sighed again. Growing up in a family like his wasn't the most pleasant experience, and he never could settle down to do math problems or host a business. "I'm probably not making any sense…" His voice trailed off.
Nikka was delighted that they could relate to each other again." No, I know what you mean." She quickly said. "Even before I hunted the Necromancers, I never really fit in with society. I think… I was…"
"Hurry it up, Lucan!" Kiyoshi's voice crashed into their conversation. "We're ready to sail." He turned towards the ships, his halberd glinting in the dusk light. "Unless you'd rather swim."
Lucan stood up and gazed out at the shimmering waters. "Well, I guess this is it." He turned to look into Nikka's emerald eyes, the only warm pair he knew in this world, that can look on him as a friend. "It was nice getting to know you, Nikka."
Nikka stood up as well. Her blush blending with the orange sunlight on her face. "Yeah, likewise." She said. She reached for Lucan's hand, but he turned to board the ship. "Alright, goodbye." Lucan said.
Nikka stood on the edge of the peer, looking at Lucan's back. She then turned her sight to her hand, extending and retracting the claws. For the past fleeting weeks, she had a real companion, someone who she could talk to about the Necromancers. Someone who understood her hunt. Someone who hunted Necromancer because they too were forced into it. She looked at the ship, now deeper in the water because of the load. Lucan was walking across the boarding plank. He looked in her direction. For a moment, their gaze locked.
"Be safe." Nikka murmured. Lucan boarded the ship and vanished below deck.
Kiyoshi was the last to board the ship. As Captain, it was his duty to ensure that everything was properly loaded and that no person or cargo was left out.
On his way to the bridge, Kiyoshi walked past a soldier who stood over the starboard bow looking at the sea. Seeing his captain pass by, he turned and stood attention in his presence.
"Captain Kiyoshi, sir!" He saluted. Being Kiyoshi's second in command, it was necessary to be an example to others and to attend to important affairs, like receiving order deliveries.
"At ease, soldier." Replied Kiyoshi. He walked beside the soldier and looked out across the waters with him. He had a square face, a small square mustache right below his mouth, and cleanly cut flat hair.
"As a Felina, I can understand being fearful of the oceans." He confessed. "but I suspect this is not what troubles you, Alec." He leaned back to look at him.
"No sir." Alec replied. "It's just," He looked for the right words, "defending against Undead and rooting out bandits is one thing, but this," He pointed to the peak of the volcano in the distance, "This is greater." Kiyoshi said.
"These Undead are coordinated, armed, and ruled by that dangerous psychopath they call the Necrolord." Alec continued. "It is beyond anything I have faced before."
"I've been serving Felden ever since my grandfather was Captain of the Guard." Kiyoshi did not respond to his first-mate's worries directly. "I was half your age and expected to become the next Captain after," he suddenly stopped. The letter that arrived after that fateful battle floated before his eyes, "my father." He paused. "How long have you been in the military?" He changed the subject.
"Only three years, sir." Alec answered.
"In those three years you've had more training than any of these Necromancer scum." Kiyoshi said, pointing at the volcano in the distance. "When we find this Necrolord, I'll kill him myself and the rest will falter. If you obey my orders and remember your training," He put a hand on Alec's shoulder, "we will sail to victory today." Alec smiled. He trusted Kiyoshi's ability and his fighting skills. He has witnessed that halberd of his strike down even the toughest, most talented bandits in one-on-one combat and slay countless Undead monsters.
"Yes, sir." He answered.
Kiyoshi gave the order to set sail. The ship, carrying all the soldiers and weapons, as well as the hope of Felden, set off to vanquish the Necromancers.
The fleet arrived at Mt. Tempus. Soldiers began unloading battering rams and other siege weapons that they have prepared. Kiyoshi sent a scout, with Lucan leading the way and Alec second, to locate the Necro base.
They found a tunnel near the foot and entered. Needless to say, it led straight to the base. Lucan wondered why he didn't see that tunnel before. Perhaps it was newly dug. Something about that explanation didn't seem right, but he focused on the job at hand.
Nikka returned to Riverstead. Since her tree fort was burnt down, she had to find somewhere to spend the night. A stench wafted by. She twitched her nose. Something about the scent smelled familiar, too familiar. She walked towards the edge of the town to investigate, her ears swiveling left and right, trying to pick up any abnormal sounds.
The scouts arrived at the base. However, it was dead silent inside. Last time Lucan visited, the place was full of roaring, hissing, and clinking Undead monsters. Now, the pits were empty. The only place that testified this as the Necro base was the altar in the middle. It stood there, silent and dark, as if mocking the soldiers.
"Oh, no." whispered Lucan. "We are too late."
Nikka came to the south side of Riverstead. The forest stood before her, lush with greenery. A hooded figure, dressed in purple robes and eyes glowing red, rose above the little hill. He raised a staff, fully black, with ribs, human-like ribs, sticking out at the sides, and a black skull on top. As Nikka approached the scene, the figure lit the staff. Its eyes glowed white, and an army of Undead monsters slowly trudged out beneath the mound. Nikka turned around and ran.
"Everyone, board the ships! We are going to Riverstead!" Shouted Kiyoshi over the clamor. The soldiers gave a grunt of contempt, as they slowly loaded everything they had just unloaded back onto the ship.
The fleet returned to the Mahoa docks. "Leave the equipment, time is of the essence. March to Riverstead as fast as possible!" Kiyoshi ordered. The soldiers finished unloading the last item on the crane and followed.
What greeted them was fire. Riverstead was aflame, the entire town was burnt to the ground. Kiyoshi mounted a hill and looked at the scene from above. These Necromancers will pay for this. He will message the officials and request a formal war on the terrorists.
Someone nudged Lucan on the elbow as he looked at the ashes. Lucan whirled around, drawing out his sword, to find Nikka. She pulled him aside and told him what she saw. "The Necromancers came out of the tunnels, Lucan. Report that to Kiyoshi. I'll stay as close as I can to the army." Nikka motioned for Lucan to return and disappeared into the woods. Lucan hoped she would be alright, and that the Undead will stick to the tunnels, not in the woods.